Lighter



Patented Nov. 10, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT orFicE l LIGHTER LuiseReich, Vienna, Germany; vested inthe Alien Property CustodianApplication May 16, 1939, Serial No. 273,972 I n Germany May 20, 1938 3Claims.

sible owing to the residues from combustion and,

fibres of the end of the wick located therein. It has already beenproposed to make the burner tube and the wick of the lighter so thatthey extend right through the fuel container the lower end of the wickprojecting from the bottom of the container so that it can be grippedand, when the lighter is not to be used, the upper end of which has thusbeen made free. These arrangements are unsuitable for practical use,especially as pocket lighters, because the end of the wisk hanging outfrom the lower end of the lighter and always saturated with fuel, soilsthe pocket,

moreover in these lighters the saving in fuel, which is attained by thetight closure of the upper end of the burner tube, is neutralized andeven converted into a greater loss by the unimpeded evaporation of thefuel from the wick end projecting from the bottom of the lighter.

`The object of the invention is, to produce an arrangement in which theburning end ofthe Wick is automatically pulled into the burner tube whenthe lighter is no longer required for use, so that the end of the burnertube is automatically freed from the parts of the wick and can behermetically closed by the lid. This is attained according to theinvention in that control means are provided which positively remove theupper end of the fuel suction element or Wick out of the region of theburner tube mouth when the lid is put on the lighter. To further ensureagainst the unintentional escapement of fuel through the wick tube theelement for sucking up the fuel may, according to another importantfeature of the invention, be separable from the fuel container in such amanner that, when the flame is extinguished, the suction contact betweenthe fuel suction element andthe fuel reserve is interrupted.

Several embodiments of the invention are illustrated by way of examplein the accompany- Fig. 3 shows a detail of the lighter, namely the wickholder with the means f or lowering the holder,

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section through a second form of constructionwith closed lid, lowered wick end and interrupted suction contactbetween wick and fuel reserve,

Fig. 5 is a similar view of the same pocket lighter in burning conditionwith projecting wick end and re-established suction contact between thewick and fuel reserve,

Fig. 6 shows the wick holder with the control means and with the carrierfor the suction member which bringsthe fuel from the container into theWick,

Fig. 7 shows in longitudinal section and in closed condition, a lighterfor methyl alcohol, in which the ignition is effected by a contactigni-v tion substance. such as palladium or the like fitted on thecontrol means for the wick holder,

Fig. 8 is a similar view showing the lighter in burning condition,

Fig. 9 is a longitudinal section showing the wick holder with thecontrol means and contact igniting and coloring means mounted thereon.

In Figs. 1 to 3 a container I, filled with cotton wool or othercapillary substance and fuel, has at its upper end an extension forminga burner tube 2 whose mouth is designated by 3. In order, when the flameis extinguished, to entirely and perfectly 'free the closable burnertube mouth 3 from the burnt end I of the suction element constructed asa wick 5, control means are provided which enable a mutual alteration inposition between the burnt end 4 of the wick and the mouth 3vof theburner tube 2 so that, when the flame is extinguished, the'burnt wickend 4 lies lower than the burner tube mouth 3 but at least in the level6 determined by the mouth of the burner tube. .These control meansconsistof a control pin 8 arranged in the holder I for the wick 5 and ofa catch I 0 arranged en the lid 9 of the lighter. 'The wick 5 isthreaded in the holder 1 in'such amanner that it can enter the interiorI2 of the container properthrough an aperture II of the holder and isthen in suction contact with the reserve of fuel I3 stored in the cottonwool. An inwardly directed pointl is formed in the wall of the holderl'I to hold the wick in position in the holder. The wick holder 1 alsohas an abutment Il which only allows the -end I of the wick to be movedout as far as is necessary ,for forming a sootless flame. This abutmentIl thus limits the mutual displacement between the end 4 of the wick 5and the burner tube mouth 3. In the lower end I5 of the wick holder l apressure spring I8 is arranged which bears at one end against atransverse partition I1 in the holder and at its other end against thebottom of the container I8. 5

ToA reduce the cross-sectional area of the wick end 4 when removing thisend out of the region of the level 6 of the burner tube mouth 3 and tothus further reduce the evaporation of the liquid fuel, guiding meansare provided for the wick lo end4 and formed for example by theupperpore-f tion 3' of the burner tube 2.

The operation is as follows: When the lighter is in closed condition thecatch I0 on the lid 9 presses against the control pin 8 and holds the 15wick holder 1, and consequently the wick 5, in the retracted positionshown in Fig. 2, in which position the end 4 of the wick 5 is below thelevel t of the burner tube mouth so'that at this level 6 there is nowick, with the result -that the mouth 3:5() of the burner tube 2 andconsequently the fuel container I is closed absolutely tightly by theelastic insertion I9 in the lid 9. The spring I6 is then under increasedpressure. If the lighter is to be lighted, the lid 9 is removed,whereupon 25 the wick holder 'I ascends under the action of the pressurespring I6 and the end 4 of the wick 5 projects from the mouth 3 of theburner tube 2 so far as the. abutment I4 on the holder I will allow. Thespark is then produced by the friction wheel 20 of the known ignitiondevice 2| and ignites the fuel in the wick end in the usual manner. Whenit is desired to extinguish the flame the lid 9 is placed on thecontainer, the wick holder I being again depressed by the catch I0 35bearing against the control pin 8 arranged on the holder. The end 4' ofthe wick 5 is therefore positively moved out of the region of the burnertube moth 3 by closing the lighter by means of its lid 9. The end 4. ofthe wick 5 swelled by the 40 liquid fuel vis reduced to thecross-sectional area of the burner tube diameter by being pulled intothe upper part 3 of the burner tube 2, the condition shown in Fig. 2being once more attained.

In Figs. 4 to 6 the fuel container is again desig- 45 nated by I and theburner tube by 2, this tube being inserted in the upper part of thecontainer I. 'I'he burner tube mouth is designated by 3. When the partsare in the position shown in Fig.

4, the burner tube mouth 3 is closed by the lid 9 50 of the lighter, thelid 9 having an insertion I9 of elastic packing material for obtaining aparticularly tight closure. 'I is the wick holder which carries the pin8 cooperating with control pin II). The wick holder I has apertures IIthrough which portions of the wick 5 are exposed and can be brought intosuction contact with the fuel. The wick holder 1 has a cup-shapedsupport 30 destined to hold a suction element 3| for conducting the fuelfrom thefuel container I to the wick 5. 'I'he wick holder 1 with thesupport 38 and the suction element 3| are movable in a housing 32 sothat the above mentioned lowering of the wick end 4 is rendered possiblebut at the same time an interruption of the suction contact between thefuel reserve I3 and the suction element 3| can take place. However,bythe interruption of the-suction contact between the fuel reserve I3 andthe suction element 3| the suction Vcontact between the fuel reserve I3and 70 the wick is also indirectly interrupted when the lighter -is inclosed condition (Fig. 4).

The gap 33 between the suction element 3| and the contact surface 34 ofthe capillary substance storing the fuel is so dimensioned that this gapcolor.

contact surface 34 is interrupted., If it isggef.

siren fo Aiight thegligiitea ihespring iid 9 pieducing the ignition"spark ini known manner' isy swung upwards by spring force with theresult that the holder 1, the contact element 3| and the wick end 4 aremoved upwards under the influence of the spring I6. At the same time,however, tlie contact element 3| comes into contact with the surface 34,with the result that a sufficient quantity 0Lf11 1 ls,;llcked into thewickl- 'I'he"wik"f5 and the suction element 3| are so dimensioned that aquantity of fuel suiilcient for the ignition is always stored in theseparts and is amply suilicent for normal use of the lighter, for examplefor lighting a cigar or cigarette. In closing the lighter the suctionelement 3| or wick 5 is separated from'the capillary substance I3saturated with fuel, so that further absorption Iand over saturation ofthe wick 5 are effectively prevented. Thus, the fuel expanding under theiniluence of the heat of the body can no longer reach'the Wick andconsequently cannot pass out from the lighter through the end 4l of wick5, with the result that the escapement of fuel by evaporation is stillfurther reduced. The form of construction illustrated in Figs. 7 to 9has the same characteristics as that illustrated in Figs. l to 3 asregards the lowering of the wick 5 and the removal of the wick end fromthe burner tube mouth 3 to be closed. Only'the lid is constructed as aspring lid. However, as methyl alcohol is used as fuel in the exampleillustrated in Figs. 7 to 9 and as this fuel ignites on a contact mediumvsuch as palladium, platinum black and the like, the control strap 4I)arranged on the holder l for the wick 5 is constructed as carrier forthe contact ignition media 4| and as carrier of substances 42 for givingthe ame a predetermined This form of construction operates in a similarmanner to that shown in Figs. 1 to 3 but the ignition of the fuel iseffected catalytically.

I claim:

1,. A pocket lighter for liquid fuel with a liquid accumulating meansand a wick tube enclosed by a burner tube forming the neck of the fuelcontainer,v comprising in combination with the burner tube, a wick tube,a spring in saidburner tube under said wick tube permitting of ui wicktube being lowered in the burner tube under the upper end of said burnertube, a pin on said wick tube and an abutmentV on the lid of the pocketlighter,

said abutment arranged so that when the pocket lighteris closed the wickis pushed into said burner tube on its whole length and the lid of thpocket lighter tightly closes the mouth of the burner tube, and anabutment on said wick tube in the fuel container for limiting at theremoving of the lid the upward movement of said wick tube so that acertain-piece of said wick tube projects from the mouth of said burnertube.

2. A pocket lighter for liquid fuel, comprising in combination a fuelcontainer, an accumulating means for liquid fuel in said container, amovable wick tube, a wick, a. control means winch at the closing of Athe pocket lighter positively presses downwards the wick tube to removethe burning end of the wick from the range of the mouth removable coverfor said wick, a body of absorbent material permanently in contact withsaid wick securing the absorption of fuel from said body into said wickand arranged so that between it and a surface of the accumulating meansa touching contact can be produced for enabling the transition of fuel,and control means by which this contact is established when the cover isremoved from the wick and is interrupted when vthe cover is applied tothe wick and'consequently the flame extinguished.

LUISE REICH.

